Over turned horse box

Spiritedly

Spiritedly

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Ive just heard that a horse box has overturned on the m20 with at least one horse in it :eek: Fire crews and animal rescue are on site but I hope all is well and there are no injuries to horse human.
 
Horse box or horse trailer? My sister was in an accident when a trailer with two horses in overturned on the M1. Miraculously everyone escaped unscathed so hope the same can be said in this case.
 
Must be a trailer.
This report seems to offer positive news..

KFRS Incident Feed
KFRS Incident Feed

Fire crews called to overturned horsebox on M20
Incident
Fire crews have been called to help release a horse from an overturned horse box on the hard shoulder of the M20. Update: A Landrover was unlatched from the overturned horsebox and the horse was released and removed to another horsebox.
Address :
M20 between junction 6 and 7 London-bound carriage way
Attendance :
The animal rescue unit and two fire appliances
 
This is what terrifies me most - we've got a lorry with a side ramp, and if that was to over turn onto the ramp side, we'd have no way at all to get to the horses! :eek:
 
Woodykat said:
This is what terrifies me most - we've got a lorry with a side ramp, and if that was to over turn onto the ramp side, we'd have no way at all to get to the horses! :eek:
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That's a very good point actually!
It's usually trailers that overturn though. All you need is for some numpty to cut you up and cause you to brake hard. I would think it would be quite hard to flip a lorry.
 
Bless that horse, and loading again straight after that kind of experience! Hoping everyone else involved is unharmed, that sort of thing is my worst nightmare! :(
 
Side ramps are an issue as not only can they prevent the horses getting out in an emergency but the ramp will make that side of the lorry heavier than the other side and therefore more likely to overturn on the ramp side. This is why it is essential that the manufacturer counterbalancec the ramp on the other side but this will have the disadvantage of reducing the payload. This is why it is better to have the ramp on the rear.
 
Do the newer trailers tip, just started on the trailer route again and dont want this to happen, can it be avoided?
 
The only thing you can do is drive carefully and fit a stabiliser, which is what the caravaners do and they don't have a live cargo.

Trouble with going slowly is that the other motorway users don't realise and nearly run into the back.

Motorway driving is not my favourite route.
 
What is a stabiliser? I don't want to tempt fate but I have never had that issue with a snaking trailer? I was taught to drive my trailer like my lorry so, drive out of a slipstream, more braking distance, 50 mph loaded is my top speed and plenty of notice and keen attention on other vehicles.

The time I hate driving my trailer is empty enroiute for servicing etc. much better with horses on board,
 
I think the argument against side load only applies to a roll over. You have the same issues with a back ramp in a rear end collision. Thankfully today's emergency services have specialist teams that train to deal with horse incidents. It's at times like this that a long look at the corners cut to save weight and gain payload need to be addressed.
 
Luci07 said:
What is a stabiliser? I don't want to tempt fate but I have never had that issue with a snaking trailer? I was taught to drive my trailer like my lorry so, drive out of a slipstream, more braking distance, 50 mph loaded is my top speed and plenty of notice and keen attention on other vehicles.

The time I hate driving my trailer is empty enroiute for servicing etc. much better with horses on board,
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They help to stop the trailer 'jumping' eg due to pothole or 'snaking'. They do this by having a friction joint.

There are 2 main types
Friction blade types (cheaper and simpler)
and
Towball friction ones

More info here
http://www.a-tconsulting.co.uk/caravan_tech/stabilisers.html
 
Oh god, how horrible! Glad it all sounds as if everything's ok, must have been terrifying. As Ellemoo said, bless the horse for walking straight into another box.
 
1994 - 2 bedford TK's set out for Three Counties, my lorry with a 2 year old ID gelding, my friends lorry with a yearling ID. Both these youngsters where 16hh + heavyweights in the making.

I said to my friend we would go via Upton on Severn, but she said she hated that road and would go over Kempsey Common. I said no thanks that route has a dreadful adverse chamber on it. We went our separate ways.

I arrived, my friend did not, and after a while the tannoys were calling me to attend the secretaries. My friends lorry had gone over on Kempsey Common and was on it's side and being recovered.

Her yearling was stood up on the side wall and walked out unscathed. He then loaded into the rescue trailer and was brought onto the show ground and handed to me. My friend was shaken but OK, but her father was injured and had gone to hospital.

This is the bit you won't believe, but it's totally true. We brushed him off, put my bridle on him and my friend showed him. At the end of the day, the yearling walked up my ramp at the first time of asking and travelled home with my 2 year old.

That horse went on to travel without a problem in the future, but he never went near Kempsey Common again and neither do I.
 
hope alls ok, make sure you have a stabiliser fitterd they are not that expensive but could save a lot of heartache !!! no of a few folk thats overturned trailers, [allso be so carefull with floors] some i have replace't would not stand my weight ,let alone 500 + kg's .
 
AdorableAlice said:
This is the bit you won't believe, but it's totally true. We brushed him off, put my bridle on him and my friend showed him. At the end of the day, the yearling walked up my ramp at the first time of asking and travelled home with my 2 year old.
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Amazing how they can just dust themselves off and carry on sometimes, isn't it:cool: With something like that it's probably worse for the humans involved, who can imagine what could have happened. Glad everyone is OK :)
 
A stabilizer,also known as a anti snaking device . My caravan has one you pull it down once the car is fitted to the tow bar. Designed to stop the car or trailer snaking. I once forgot to pull mine down and boy did I notice the difference.

012.jpg




Importance of towing include :


Keep a safe distance from the vehicle in front.
Be careful on windy days
Don't drive to fast
don't brake to heavy
check your tyre pressure
 
Dear All,

This was my friend's horse Murphy who was involved in the accident today on the M20. We now call him Murphy the Super Horse.
He was being transported from Newnham Court Vets to Bell Equine today as he has to have a bone scan for an injury to his shoulder, at present they are unsure on the problem.
He is amazingly came out with only a few minor cuts and everything else was fine.
A vet from Newnham Court was on the motorway behind and saw it happen so managed to sedate him straight away.
Murphy managed to walk out of the trailer after the fire bridge had managed to pivot it back up.
Some lovely other horsey people went and got their lorry from home and my friend Claire managed to load him straight onto it.
He is still at Bell Equine who have carried out X rays and ultrasound scans and he appears to have no injuries from the accident.
All our thoughts are with Claire that he pulls through and they find out what is wrong with his shoulder. She has had him 14 years and he is a wonderful horse.
Come on Murphy you can do it. x
 
Abigail2207 said:
Dear All,

This was my friend's horse Murphy who was involved in the accident today on the M20. We now call him Murphy the Super Horse.
He was being transported from Newnham Court Vets to Bell Equine today as he has to have a bone scan for an injury to his shoulder, at present they are unsure on the problem.
He is amazingly came out with only a few minor cuts and everything else was fine.
A vet from Newnham Court was on the motorway behind and saw it happen so managed to sedate him straight away.
Murphy managed to walk out of the trailer after the fire bridge had managed to pivot it back up.
Some lovely other horsey people went and got their lorry from home and my friend Claire managed to load him straight onto it.
He is still at Bell Equine who have carried out X rays and ultrasound scans and he appears to have no injuries from the accident.
All our thoughts are with Claire that he pulls through and they find out what is wrong with his shoulder. She has had him 14 years and he is a wonderful horse.
Come on Murphy you can do it. x
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Oh wow, I am pleased to hear that he hasn't done anymore damage following the accident.

I hope the vets can help with his shoulder too and that he makes a great recovery from it.

Bless him
Thoughts to your friend and Murphy
 
Best wishes to your friend and murphy what a terrifying experience but seems like everyone got off very lightly : ) hope your friend has a large glass of wine tonight ; )
 
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